Lane 9 News Archive: Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program -- September 8, 2006Clever swimmers. Unprudent footballers.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Lane 9 News Archive: Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program
The book | OpenLife.cc
Put this on your back to school reading list.
I think I'll take parts or the whole work and make it available as I make new CDs for handouts to others. It would be part of my TV show, HON, (Heavy Or Not) if I had a TV show. :)
The book | OpenLife.cc Open Life: The Philosophy of Open SourceYou can get a copy without charge for online reading. Download it and give it a peek.
I think I'll take parts or the whole work and make it available as I make new CDs for handouts to others. It would be part of my TV show, HON, (Heavy Or Not) if I had a TV show. :)
kdka.com - Will Bob O'Connor's Legacy Fade Or Continue?
Question:
No.
Furthermore, the ideas of from Bob were not grand. Bob was grand. But his ideas were basic. To clean up is core to what government should do. Pick up the trash. Redd up. Move junk cars off the streets. That's 'sticking to the knitting.'
Bob was grand in his ambitions to to the basics. Bob was grand in his personality and willingness to serve. Bob was grand in his ability to connect with people.
The O'Connor legacy is but a day or two old. It hasn't even hatched yet. There is no way under the sun that Delano can ponder the O'Connor legacy -- yet.
Delano might be able to ponder the O'Connor tenure and the short six months of his agenda as mayor. I think Delano might be able to review O'Connor's legacy as President of City Council and as a councilmember.
Bob didn't aim to 'rebuild downtown.' Bob's approach was more of a localized approach. He wanted to build upon what we already had. Bob wanted to have smaller projects rather than 'grand, mega projects.' Bob was more about being organic -- or more about an step-by-step evolution. Not a 'rebuilding.' More keep building, and a re-establishement of the building.
kdka.com - Will Bob O'Connor's Legacy Fade Or Continue? But without his driving force will those grand ideas fade away?Answer:
No.
Furthermore, the ideas of from Bob were not grand. Bob was grand. But his ideas were basic. To clean up is core to what government should do. Pick up the trash. Redd up. Move junk cars off the streets. That's 'sticking to the knitting.'
Bob was grand in his ambitions to to the basics. Bob was grand in his personality and willingness to serve. Bob was grand in his ability to connect with people.
The O'Connor legacy is but a day or two old. It hasn't even hatched yet. There is no way under the sun that Delano can ponder the O'Connor legacy -- yet.
Delano might be able to ponder the O'Connor tenure and the short six months of his agenda as mayor. I think Delano might be able to review O'Connor's legacy as President of City Council and as a councilmember.
Bob didn't aim to 'rebuild downtown.' Bob's approach was more of a localized approach. He wanted to build upon what we already had. Bob wanted to have smaller projects rather than 'grand, mega projects.' Bob was more about being organic -- or more about an step-by-step evolution. Not a 'rebuilding.' More keep building, and a re-establishement of the building.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Rebirth of the New Idea Factory -- with second life at The Sprout Fund
Today, it seemed to me, The Sprout Fund re-launched the New Idea Factory. I was there. It felt good the second time. More open. More dazzle. More digital.
James C. Roddey championed the "New Idea Factory" back in the day. I don't know what was first, that or the Sprout Fund. So, in a way, it is like the Sprout Fund calling back to its roots.
All in all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Hundreds of good ideas were shared. Lots of doodles developed.
Sorry, I'm skeptical. I'm a guy who wants to go out of my way to wear a black hat, and that's not allowed in a 'brainstorming session.' To say the least, as I did, I can mostly claim tonight that I have a sore tongue. But, I didn't try to be a party pooper. No way. I did have fun and it was a feel good structure and I'm very hopeful of the outcomes yet to flourish.
This type of meeting is right up my alley. The cycle of 'weed and seed' without the inclusion of 'harvest' has been under my skin for more than a decade. We need to do more than weed and seed -- and lots of those ideas were getting out there today. So, in some instances, I'm thrilled.
And, only a moron can't love AlphaChimp Studios! Peter is great. We need more integration and more graphics to support our stories. We've got too many stories that are NOT strung together.
One of the ideas that I helped to poke along the pathway in our homeroom to the final stage was called "Bob's Bean." The concept builds upon the legacy of Bob O'Connor's of going into the neighborhoods. We need to build bigger, bolder routes along the pathways he blazed from Grant Street to neighborhood spots.
Bob's Bean is a temporary, mobile, coffee truck / chart, that causes civic engagement and has a digital support infrastructure, much like an internet cafe. It can go from place to place, as scheduled much like the Citiparks Art-Cart or the Library's Bookmobile. It has a moderator or facilitator. Expect urban hikes in that neighborhood that day so as to engage everyone.
Huddle, Hike and Hypothesize.
We need to get politicians off of Grant Street. We need venues of common ground. We need to say "free food" and / or drink (coffee, tea, hot chocholate, cider, lemonaid, etc.) and have casual places to mingle, get to know one antoher. We need to hear of successes and failures in various places -- while those places are present.
Think of a traveling internet cafe. Think of a meeting place that isn't owned by anyone -- but by everyone. Think of a place where the shirts get rolled to the elbows -- and sip to admire a mural and then start to lock horns and plan for new actions for the weeks to come.
This would be a monthly, (or so) scheduled function. Sessions would go for the day -- and then go away for another place and another time.
There is $100,000 of funding that is due to hit the streets in "several months" -- complete with RFPs (Requests For Proposals). Yes. That makes the exercise more than just an academic letter grade.
In the past, I knocked The New Idea Factory because it was elitist and more about being 'invited to participate' and less about an attitude of open door inclusion. This event was held at a public school (great) with a $10 fee (more than fair) and lunch was provided (goodie).
The 'New Idea Factory' could have been great boon for the mass production of cookie cutter stuff. I don't want to mass produce fun. I don't want certain specs applied to all aspects of our lives. We've been a 'factory town' for many generations. It has its hang-ups from my point of view.
However, a 'New Idea Distillery' -- that is different. That 'distilling' effort seems to have a much better ring to the concepts that we crave around here.
Case in point: Tom Murphy could take a stretch of land and figure out how squeeze a lot of tax breaks into its infrastructure and how to get new development onto either greenfields or brownfields. He was a mastermind at making new retail developments. And those goals go counter to what I think we need and really want in the end. Let's take a new idea -- and then take it apart to study if it is sustainable, if it is helping our urban core, if it is just, if it is what government should be doing.
Along these lines, I don't want to see something such as this "Bob's Bean concept" be turned into a "dog and pony show" that exists to leverage grass-roots support for hidden agendas. Many have seen and lived through the Tom Murphy styled "Power Points" for various "projects." Spare us of that top-down type of song and dance. Bob's approach wasn't about the computer presentation and vision that fit into a series of bullet charts.
Bob's way was to be there in person. Look folks in the eye. Share a cookie and/or coffee. Shake hands and spill out with an attitude that includes, "just do it." But, there needs to be more if we are to institutionalize this approach. We can't be Bob. We all can't be there at the same time. We can't just 'show up' -- mostly unannounced. We can't always host roving meetings and pull strings so something is always getting done.
I think the Bob's Bean venture could work. The concept builds a mini town-hall that travels and includes digital assets.
As the social following the event I heard a bit from John Allison of the PG. Expect something to run in a week or so that catalogs some of the ideas. I also saw a reporter from the City Paper as well.
Let's roll out the red carpet for these ideas on the internet.
Perhaps many of the ideas, if not all of them, can be pulled into the Platform.For-Pgh.org wiki as well. Some have been there for some time. We'll need forums and FAQs and wikis and in turn, RFPs and real folks to pick up the project and run with them.
Pittsburgh has something to get Jazzed about. Did you hear about the new Jazz concept???
James C. Roddey championed the "New Idea Factory" back in the day. I don't know what was first, that or the Sprout Fund. So, in a way, it is like the Sprout Fund calling back to its roots.
All in all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Hundreds of good ideas were shared. Lots of doodles developed.
Sorry, I'm skeptical. I'm a guy who wants to go out of my way to wear a black hat, and that's not allowed in a 'brainstorming session.' To say the least, as I did, I can mostly claim tonight that I have a sore tongue. But, I didn't try to be a party pooper. No way. I did have fun and it was a feel good structure and I'm very hopeful of the outcomes yet to flourish.
This type of meeting is right up my alley. The cycle of 'weed and seed' without the inclusion of 'harvest' has been under my skin for more than a decade. We need to do more than weed and seed -- and lots of those ideas were getting out there today. So, in some instances, I'm thrilled.
And, only a moron can't love AlphaChimp Studios! Peter is great. We need more integration and more graphics to support our stories. We've got too many stories that are NOT strung together.
One of the ideas that I helped to poke along the pathway in our homeroom to the final stage was called "Bob's Bean." The concept builds upon the legacy of Bob O'Connor's of going into the neighborhoods. We need to build bigger, bolder routes along the pathways he blazed from Grant Street to neighborhood spots.
Bob's Bean is a temporary, mobile, coffee truck / chart, that causes civic engagement and has a digital support infrastructure, much like an internet cafe. It can go from place to place, as scheduled much like the Citiparks Art-Cart or the Library's Bookmobile. It has a moderator or facilitator. Expect urban hikes in that neighborhood that day so as to engage everyone.
Huddle, Hike and Hypothesize.
We need to get politicians off of Grant Street. We need venues of common ground. We need to say "free food" and / or drink (coffee, tea, hot chocholate, cider, lemonaid, etc.) and have casual places to mingle, get to know one antoher. We need to hear of successes and failures in various places -- while those places are present.
Think of a traveling internet cafe. Think of a meeting place that isn't owned by anyone -- but by everyone. Think of a place where the shirts get rolled to the elbows -- and sip to admire a mural and then start to lock horns and plan for new actions for the weeks to come.
This would be a monthly, (or so) scheduled function. Sessions would go for the day -- and then go away for another place and another time.
There is $100,000 of funding that is due to hit the streets in "several months" -- complete with RFPs (Requests For Proposals). Yes. That makes the exercise more than just an academic letter grade.
In the past, I knocked The New Idea Factory because it was elitist and more about being 'invited to participate' and less about an attitude of open door inclusion. This event was held at a public school (great) with a $10 fee (more than fair) and lunch was provided (goodie).
The 'New Idea Factory' could have been great boon for the mass production of cookie cutter stuff. I don't want to mass produce fun. I don't want certain specs applied to all aspects of our lives. We've been a 'factory town' for many generations. It has its hang-ups from my point of view.
However, a 'New Idea Distillery' -- that is different. That 'distilling' effort seems to have a much better ring to the concepts that we crave around here.
Case in point: Tom Murphy could take a stretch of land and figure out how squeeze a lot of tax breaks into its infrastructure and how to get new development onto either greenfields or brownfields. He was a mastermind at making new retail developments. And those goals go counter to what I think we need and really want in the end. Let's take a new idea -- and then take it apart to study if it is sustainable, if it is helping our urban core, if it is just, if it is what government should be doing.
Along these lines, I don't want to see something such as this "Bob's Bean concept" be turned into a "dog and pony show" that exists to leverage grass-roots support for hidden agendas. Many have seen and lived through the Tom Murphy styled "Power Points" for various "projects." Spare us of that top-down type of song and dance. Bob's approach wasn't about the computer presentation and vision that fit into a series of bullet charts.
Bob's way was to be there in person. Look folks in the eye. Share a cookie and/or coffee. Shake hands and spill out with an attitude that includes, "just do it." But, there needs to be more if we are to institutionalize this approach. We can't be Bob. We all can't be there at the same time. We can't just 'show up' -- mostly unannounced. We can't always host roving meetings and pull strings so something is always getting done.
I think the Bob's Bean venture could work. The concept builds a mini town-hall that travels and includes digital assets.
As the social following the event I heard a bit from John Allison of the PG. Expect something to run in a week or so that catalogs some of the ideas. I also saw a reporter from the City Paper as well.
Let's roll out the red carpet for these ideas on the internet.
Perhaps many of the ideas, if not all of them, can be pulled into the Platform.For-Pgh.org wiki as well. Some have been there for some time. We'll need forums and FAQs and wikis and in turn, RFPs and real folks to pick up the project and run with them.
Pittsburgh has something to get Jazzed about. Did you hear about the new Jazz concept???
Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh - New York Times
Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh - New York TimesNow comes the hard part.
Luke, fear not. I don't give a flying fart what you wear to the Steelers' games. You'll get a pass on that from me.
Nice quote from fellow blogger, Carbolic Smoke Ball!
Tip: The best way to raise downtown development is to tax the land. If you tax the land -- then you reward those who build upon it. We have a dense downtown because we have had a legacy of a land tax.
We'll empty the tall buildings, get folks to move out of the city and continue the downward slide if we keep up with the recent policy of taxing the buildings and taking the burden off of the land.
A dumb public policy would reward the one who tears down a building and makes a surface parking lot.
A better public policy would be a blanket reward for those who fix up their properties.
Luke's biggest problem is NOT the uncertainty surronding him. I'd say that is Luke's biggest asset and strength.
Some say Luke would be a fool to NOT use O'Connor's playbook. I say Luke would be a fool to ONLY use O'Connor's playbook. And, if LUKE executes from O'Connor's playbook -- he'll never be able to be known as a smart leader with his own leadership style.
Luke's got the luxery of being able to build upon the O'Connor playbook and greatly expand it.
A Charlie Batch Encounter
Last night's meeting: Charlie and I talk after he got an award from the Jerome Bettis and the Bus Stops Here Foundation. Charlie has the man of the hour and is a superstar in his community work in Homestead with the kids.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff
Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff
NBC and Carson Daly plan to reward those with a penchant for storytelling on the Web with an interactive contest dubbed 'It's Your Show,' the network said Thursday. The online competition, which began Thursday, will encourage users to create and submit their own user-created video with the help of clips and a 'video tool kit' and the lure of $100,000 in cash. 'We want to give people a chance to show us what the next level of user-generated content can look like when given the tools and the opportunity,' NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. Reilly also indicated that a television component of 'It's Your Show' is in development, with plans to integrate the best and worst of content into a broadcast. Daly is set to host.
Among those paying their respects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Among those paying their respects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review What's up with this as a news story?
Thursday, September 07, 2006
More on my summer vaction
The food was good. An army marches on its stomach -- and mine had no complaints. (Left to right: Les, Mark, J.P, Zack)
Staffers. Bob and Les are kneeling. Dick Bower and Barbara are center. I'm far to the left in the jacket.
At the Chikopi swim meet. I'm the one without the hat to the left of the guy (Dick Bower) with the hat. Bob D is starting the race at the far right.
Staffers. Bob and Les are kneeling. Dick Bower and Barbara are center. I'm far to the left in the jacket.
At the Chikopi swim meet. I'm the one without the hat to the left of the guy (Dick Bower) with the hat. Bob D is starting the race at the far right.
Water Polo in a lake at Camp Chikopi, Canada
The water polo course we built at Camp Chikopi. The kids are warming up in this photo.
Another angle of the water polo warm-up. In this shot I'm off to the left. In the prior, I'm off to the right. I was able to coach the polo from a row boat or else I stood on a wooden, but aged docking of sorts.
Closer action shot -- as we had lots of balls in the pool to dribble, shoot, pass and move about with.
Another angle of the water polo warm-up. In this shot I'm off to the left. In the prior, I'm off to the right. I was able to coach the polo from a row boat or else I stood on a wooden, but aged docking of sorts.
Closer action shot -- as we had lots of balls in the pool to dribble, shoot, pass and move about with.
Fore!
Proposal would name Schenley golf course for O'ConnorSounds like a 'slam dunk' to me. Let's make sure that the pins are 'red' -- as in 'redd up the green.' Golfers will be able to 'redd up their shots at The Bob.'
Proposal would name Schenley golf course for O'Connor An organization involved in running the Schenley Park Golf Course wants the city to rename the facility after the late Mayor Bob O'Connor.
'My hope is that it eventually comes to be called the Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park, and that people end up calling it The Bob,' said Bruce Stephen, executive director of The First Tee of Pittsburgh, a nonprofit organization that teaches kids golf and moral values at the course.
'The [O'Connor] family very much wants that.'
There are sure to be other ways to honor O'Connor too.
Back in the day, I suggested that we re-name the "Liberty Bridge" and "Liberty Tunnel" for Tom Murphy -- IF he would resign from office before his term ended. Murphy did plenty to erase Liberty from our landscape, so taking that tag off the bridge and tunnel seemed fitting. Murphy was also a champ at 'gridlock' as well, something that the goes hand and hand with the tunnel and bridge. But, that rant is all water under the bridge now.
Bob O'Connor didn't re-start the marathon in May, something that Tom killed. Next up in our sporting datebook, The Great Races (10k, 5k, tot trot) named for a past mayor. The Great Race was also killed for a year by Tom Murphy -- but it was born again. It makes money.
Bob was a friend of sports.
We are all missing this gentleman.
Time to lower our heads in prayer....
Now Bob gets to look down upon us, from heaven.
Much is being said and written. I'll listen and share in the grief.
Funeral, then football. Weird set of events today for Pittsburgh.
Now Bob gets to look down upon us, from heaven. Much is being said and written. I'll listen and share in the grief.
Funeral, then football. Weird set of events today for Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Crazy for Liberty displays Atlanta Constitution article about Libertarian Party
Crazy for Liberty The Libertarians, unlike the Republican and Democrat parties, actually take their platform seriously, rather than viewing it as a quadrennial exercise designed to throw red meat to the faithful then to be ignored for the following 47 months.
The Idea Round Up - This Saturday!
At this one-day event, The Sprout Fund will engage creative young thinkers and regional leaders in a conversation that promotes new thinking about the topics that matter most to our community.
This Saturday, September 9, 2006
CAPA High School, Downtown
9 AM - 4 PM
$10 (includes lunch)
Only 100 spaces left!
Register now: engagepittsburgh.org
Not Your Typical Civic Meeting
Roll up your sleeves and be a part of community change at a day-long civic engagement symposium
Learn what's going on nationally in other cities, engage in panel discussions with regional leaders, and work in small design groups to generate as many brain-busting ideas as possible. All ideas will be welcome-the wacky, the way out, the logical, the needed, the necessary, the fun, and the futuristic.
The Idea Round Up promises to be a highly visual and highly interactive day with 20 local artists on hand to illustrate all the ideas generated.
Sprout will announce plans to release $100,000 in funding to support projects that grow directly out of the ideas developed during this exciting collaborative design event.
Meeting to address new aquatic center for Mt. Lebanon
Serious talk of a swim pool is back to the front burner in Mt. Lebo tonight.
If we had a Pittsburgh Park District, we'd put these decisions into a venue and forum that makes much more sense. We'd be thinking more as a region and not as tiny municipalities.
This summer I collected signatures at the Dormont Swim Pool and there were many who were there from Mt. Lebo.
Meeting to address new aquatic center for Mt. LebanonThe talk of a swim pool in Mt. Lebo should be associated with the talk of a swim pool repair and/or rehab at Dormont too.
Mt. Lebanon residents are invited to the first of three public meetings to help plan the municipality's new aquatic center at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center, off Cedar Boulevard.
If we had a Pittsburgh Park District, we'd put these decisions into a venue and forum that makes much more sense. We'd be thinking more as a region and not as tiny municipalities.
This summer I collected signatures at the Dormont Swim Pool and there were many who were there from Mt. Lebo.
Mayor's term goes to when ???
There has been some talk about how long Luke gets to be Mayor of Pittsburgh, without an election. That is a valid conversation given the ugly conflicts of words within the City's Charter. But that is for another thread. See below.
What became of the "TERM LIMIT" idea? Presently, Pittsburgh has NO TERM LIMITs for its Mayor, nor for City Council Members.
The US President and even the PA Governor can only serve two terms.
We have the potential of Luke, now in his mid-20s, serving as mayor until he is in his mid-60s. With a 26 year old mayor at the helm, we could have a 40-year period where Luke is the boss on Grant Street.
The concept of 'term limits' goes both ways. To favor democracy, let the people decide, not some charter. But, to avoid a czar-like state, keep a revolving door in the top offices.
I think we need to think again about 'term limits' in the city, for mayor and for those on city council.
What became of the "TERM LIMIT" idea? Presently, Pittsburgh has NO TERM LIMITs for its Mayor, nor for City Council Members.
The US President and even the PA Governor can only serve two terms.
We have the potential of Luke, now in his mid-20s, serving as mayor until he is in his mid-60s. With a 26 year old mayor at the helm, we could have a 40-year period where Luke is the boss on Grant Street.
The concept of 'term limits' goes both ways. To favor democracy, let the people decide, not some charter. But, to avoid a czar-like state, keep a revolving door in the top offices.
I think we need to think again about 'term limits' in the city, for mayor and for those on city council.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Webcast Interviews - Happy Educational Listening
Thursday evening (September 7), hear an interview of Larry Cuban, emeritus professor of education at Stanford, and author of "Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom." The one hour interview starts at 5 pm PDT, (8 pm in Pittsburgh) and is set for a live webcast with a question and answer session at the end.
The webcast and the concurrent chatroom are available. Upcoming interviews on Open Office (Solveig Haugland & Ben Horst), Open Source Software in Education (Eric S. Raymond & Doc
Searls), and Open Source licensing (Ruth Lutes & Ragavan Srinivasan
from HP).
Recordings of the interview (.mp3 and .ogg) with Prof. Cuban will be available on Friday. Recent interviews recordings are available at
http://edtechlive.wikispaces.com/Recordings+List.
* Victoria Davis and Adam Frey on "Wikis--What Are They, and Why Use Them in Education?"
* Michelle Moore on "Moodle: An Open Source Learning Management System"
* Mike Huffman and Laura Taylor on "Indiana's ACCESS Program: Affordable Classroom Computers for Every Secondary Student"
* Daniel Howard and William Fragakis on Atlanta Public Schools' Linux Thin Client Project
* Jim McQuillan and Eric Harrison on LTSP, K12LTSP, and Linux Thin Client for Schools
* Dr. David Thornburg on "Free and Open Source Software in Education"
Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
My only quibble with the editorial that follows is that mention of "little." Mixing the politics with the efforts of the office -- while in office -- isn't little. It is a big deal.
Headline should be: "Rendell is sleazy with web stuff too."
Headline should be: "Rendell is sleazy with web stuff too."
Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff
Sunday, September 3, 2006
The issue that you first read about here in Whispers last month refuses to die: Gov. Ed Rendell still is unabashedly using the state Web site to link to his campaign Internet site.
The Democrat governor's official schedule is linked to his campaign schedule -- and from there, to the whole cyberworld of re-electing Rendell to a second term.
Republicans have been making it an issue over the past two weeks. The governor's office says there is no issue, and contends it saves time and money by not having to refer political inquiries to the campaign.
Not every Pennsylvania elected official is so nonchalant about using public resources to finance a political campaign.
At last week's Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn Hills, was asked whether he would link his official Web page to his campaign site.
'No,' Santorum said. 'As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure if I'd be allowed to, if I could. But, no, I don't think you're allowed to. But I think -- look, I can't tell you -- I'll show you the two Blackberrys I have; I keep everything separate.'
He continued: 'We go out of our way to keep everything as separate. ... We put up firewalls everywhere we possibly can to make sure the taxpayers are not putting one cent into this campaign.'
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
